Alex Rodriguez to begin rehab games on Friday

Alex Rodriguez has been out of the Yankees lineup since late July after getting hit on the hand by a pitch from Felix Hernandez and he’s finally getting close to returning to the lineup.

On Friday, A-Rod will join the High-A Tampa Yankees for a rehab game as the DH and if everything goes well he’ll be playing third base by Saturday, according to Peter Botte of the NY Daily News.

The Yankees have done well at third base in his absense with Eric Chavez, Jayson Nix, and Casey McGehee combining to hit .319/.367/.555 in his absence. However, his presence will still be a big boost as teams have been more successful at matching up against these three players late in games because of their extreme platoon splits. A-Rod will also be a big help at DH and will be a big boost to the team’s depth.

A-Rod has hit .276/.358/.449 in 94 games so far this season.

About Rob Abruzzese

Rob Abruzzese created Bronx Baseball Daily in 2008 just before graduating from Brooklyn College. He currently serves BBD as its editor and works as a reporter at the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Follow Rob on Twitter @RobAbruzzese.